Scottish Executive

Disability Rights Task Force

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish its response to the Disability Rights Task Force Report.

Jackie Baillie: We have published today the Scottish Executive’s response to the Disability Rights Task Force Report setting out how recommendations in devolved areas will be taken forward in Scotland. Copies are available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. no. 10690).

Justice

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many criminal prosecutions relating to tobacco smuggling there have been in each year since 1997 and how many such prosecutions resulted in an (a) custodial and (b) non-custodial sentence.

Colin Boyd: Offences involving tobacco smuggling are prosecuted under the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979 and the records of prosecutions under that Act do not distinguish between different types of contraband. Customs and Excise estimate that cases concerning the smuggling of "personal use" quantities run at about 35 a year and these typically do not result in custodial sentences. So far as smuggling of commercial quantities is concerned, all cases reported by Customs and Excise have been prosecuted and the figures are as follows:

  


1997 
  

1 case 
  

3.3 million cigarettes 
  

18 months prison 
  



1998 
  

1 case 
  

1.7 million cigarettes 
  

12 months prison 
  



1999 
  

2 cases 
  

(a) 7.3 million cigarettes 
  

12 months prison 
  


 
 

(b) 0.4 million cigarettes 
  

accused acquitted 
  



  There were no cases completed in 2000 but three cases are to be tried early in 2001. It should also be kept in mind that, under the wide jurisdictional provisions of the 1979 Act, some cases with Scottish elements have been prosecuted in English courts. Figures are not available for such cases.

Justice

Scott Barrie (Dunfermline West) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Scottish Strategy for Victims will be published.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Scottish Strategy for Victims , and the Scottish Executive Justice Department Action Plan which sets out what the Justice Department plans to do to support the strategy, are published today. A copy of each document will be placed in the Parliament’s Information Centre and additional copies made available in the Document Supply Centre. (Bib. no’s 10680 and 10681).

Leylandii Hedges

Nick Johnston (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-10038 by Mr Jim Wallace on 5 October 2000, when it will make the announcement on the response to the consultation paper on high hedges.

Mr Jim Wallace: Analysis of the responses to this consultation is complete and I now expect to make an announcement later this month.

Oil and Gas Industry

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to (a) Her Majesty’s Government and (b) the European Commission, regarding any implications for the offshore industry of the Large Combustion Plant Directive; whether it has been consulted about any such implications, and, if so, by whom and what its response was.

Mr Sam Galbraith: The Scottish Executive has played a full part in the negotiations to date on all aspects of the proposed revisions to the Large Combustion Plant Directive and has been in regular contact with the UK Government and the European Commission as negotiations have developed. Under the Common Position adopted by the Council in November 2000, the Directive would not apply to plants used on off-shore platforms. This was also the case in the European Commission’s original proposal for a revision to the Directive. We will continue to monitor the progress of the proposed revision and play a full part in the remaining stages of the negotiating process.

Oil and Gas Industry

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the implications for the Scottish economy are of the Large Combustion Plant Directive.

Mr Sam Galbraith: As negotiations on the proposal to amend the Large Combustion Plants Directive have only reached the Common Position stage, it is not possible to gauge accurately the costs to the Scottish economy of the proposal until the final text is agreed and adopted by the Council and the European Parliament. This is expected to occur in the second half of 2001. However the Common Position included the option of a national plan approach for "existing plant" (i.e. plant licensed prior to July 1987) rather than the mandatory application of emission limit values to each individual plant. The national plan approach could provide the option of more flexibility in implementing the Directive through controlling emissions where it is most cost-effective to do so.

Parliamentary Questions

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will answer parliamentary questions S1W-10883, S1W-10884, S1W-10885, S1W-10886 and S1W-10887.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Parliamentary questions S1W-10883, S1W-10884, S1W-10885, S1W-10886 and S1W-10887 were all answered today, Tuesday 16 January.

Planning

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to introduce a national policy on strategic retail developments.

Mr Sam Galbraith: The Executive’s policies for all new retail developments are set out in National Planning Policy Guideline 8: Town Centres and Retailing.

Post Offices

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what services it will seek to buy from the Post Office under Her Majesty’s Government "Gateway" proposals approved by the Performance and Innovation Unit of Her Majesty’s Cabinet Office, and what is the estimated cost of so doing.

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which options it favours for the provision of universal banking services through the Post Office network for those people who cannot or do not wish to use traditional bank accounts.

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will subsidise the provision of universal banking services by the Post Office and, if so, to what extent.

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what contribution it will make to Social Network Payments to prevent any closures of sub-Post Offices in rural and deprived urban areas.

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what contribution it will make to the establishment of a fund to support Post Offices and their retail facilities in deprived urban areas.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Post Office and postal services are reserved matters. Ring-fenced funding has been set aside by the UK Government in the Spending Review for new investment over the next three years to start the implementation of the Performance and Innovation Unit report on the Post Office network. Included is provision for modernisation of the urban network.

  The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has stated that the UK Government will require the Post Office to maintain the rural network.

  Policy on the Universal Bank is reserved to the UK Government which supports universal banking services accessible at post offices as the best way forward for bringing those people who do not currently have bank accounts into the financial mainstream. The Post Office and the high street banks are working together to develop the concept of universal banking services and the Government is closely monitoring developments. The Government has made a firm commitment to contribute towards the costs of universal banking.

  The Scottish Executive will continue to work with the Scottish financial institutions and others, such as the credit union movement, to improve the choice and accessibility of appropriate financial products available to those on low incomes. The Scottish Executive will also look at delivery of online public services through post offices in due course alongside other options. The proposal to establish a fund to support post offices and their retail facilities in deprived urban areas is for England only. Under the Scottish Executive’s Digital Government agenda, a target has been set to have 100% of public services available online by 2005. The Executive will wish to consider options for delivering these services with various partners e.g. post offices, banks and supermarkets.

Roads

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive why it is paying £26.1 million in the current financial year as a service charge for the M6 which does not start or finish in Scotland and who this money is being paid to.

Sarah Boyack: The sum of £26.1 million is the estimated payment to Autolink Concessionaires (M6) Ltd, which maintains and operates the M74 on behalf of the Executive under a 30-year DBFO contract.

Scottish Qualifications Authority

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-11436 by Mr Jack McConnell on 22 November 2000, whether the Scottish Qualifications Authority has completed its review of markers’ fees and what decisions have been taken on the fees for 2001 and subsequent exam diets.

Mr Jack McConnell: The SQA has now recommended to me a 50% increase in fees for its markers, members of examining teams, moderators and other appointees for 2001. I have agreed that the Executive will fund this increase in full.

  In addition, I am setting up an in-depth review of fees for 2002 and future years, involving the SQA, local authorities and further education colleges. This review will aim to produce a fee structure that is balanced and transparent, and that ensures SQA can recruit sufficient teachers and lecturers to carry out marking and other assessment tasks effectively. It will commence immediately, and will make proposals jointly to me and to the Chair of SQA in time for SQA to implement any necessary changes to their systems for the 2002 diet.

Traffic

Nick Johnston (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the Rosyth traffic study undertaken on behalf of Fife Council and Scottish Enterprise Fife by Carl Bro in association with Spaven McCrossan Partnership and ERM and what action it intends to take in light of this study.

Sarah Boyack: This study has not been presented to the Scottish Executive.

Traffic

Ian Jenkins (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated annual percentage change in the volume of all motor vehicle traffic was for each year since 1984.

Sarah Boyack: Information on the volume of motor vehicle traffic in Scotland is contained in Scottish Transport Statistics no. 19 - 2000 Edition , copies of which are available from SPICe. Table H1 in that publication gives estimates of the volume of motor vehicle traffic on major roads for each year from 1975 to 1999. Estimates of traffic on all roads, including minor roads, are available only from 1998 and are given in Table 6.1 of the same publication.

  Because of changes in methodology and small sample sizes, the estimates indicate only the broad level of traffic and may not provide reliable information about year to year changes. Chapter 6 of the publication describes the methods used to compile the estimates and identifies key discontinuities in the series.

Urban Waste Water Directive

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what specific EU Regulations limit it to providing 50% state aid to the Campbeltown and Bute Creameries in relation to the cost of their compliance with the Urban Waste Water Directive.

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken to seek flexibility from the EU on the 50% state aid rule regarding creameries.

Ross Finnie: The 50% limit relates to public sector investments in the processing and marketing of agricultural products under Article 28 of Council Regulation (EC) 1257/99. This governs the public sector investment – "The total amount of support … is limited to a maximum of (a) 50% in Objective 1 regions; (b) 40% in other regions". The Council Regulation came into force in 1999 and has the force of law in the UK.

  These limits are also reflected in the Community Guidelines on State Aids in the Agriculture Sector.

Urban Waste Water Directive

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions have taken place between ministers and/or officials and the EU over the implementation of the Urban Waste Water Directive, which minister has raised the issue, when, and what was the response.

Mr Sam Galbraith: The Scottish Executive is in contact with the European Commission on an ongoing basis about the EC Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive. For example, Executive officials participate in the committee of representatives from member states which is chaired by the Commission under Article 18 of the Directive and which considers issues arising from the implementation of the Directive.

Urban Waste Water Directive

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of any other EU countries who have been able to seek and obtain an exemption to the rule that governments can contribute a maximum of 50% of the costs of a project under state aid regulations; if so which countries these are and what were the circumstances of the exception, and, if it is not aware of any such examples, whether it will look into the possibility of seeking an exemption as a matter of urgency and report to the Parliament early in 2001.

Ross Finnie: I am not aware of any such exemptions and, as stated in my reply to question S1W-12205, the relevant Council Regulation restricting the maximum amount of aid to 50% has the force of law in the UK.

Water Charges

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the percentage increases were in (a) water and (b) sewerage charges in (i) 1996-97, (ii) 1997-98, (iii) 1998-99, (iv) 1999-2000 and (v) 2000-01, using 1995-96 as the base figure and broken down by water authority.

Mr Sam Galbraith: The percentage increases in water charges are shown in the following table, for each former regional council area. The results vary within water authority areas as the charges were progressively harmonised from the different levels charged by the former regional councils.

  


Band D Water Charges, year on year percentage 
  change 
  



 


1996-97 
  

1997-98 
  

1998-99 
  

1999-2000 
  

2000-01 
  



East of Scotland Water Area 
  



Borders 
  

-4% 
  

5% 
  

8% 
  

0% 
  

20% 
  



Forth Valley 
  

4% 
  

13% 
  

40% 
  

21% 
  

37% 
  



Fife 
  

5% 
  

12% 
  

25% 
  

2% 
  

30% 
  



Lothian 
  

-1% 
  

5% 
  

8% 
  

0% 
  

20% 
  



North of Scotland Water Area 
  



Grampian 
  

4% 
  

7% 
  

11% 
  

8% 
  

39% 
  



Highland 
  

2% 
  

7% 
  

11% 
  

8% 
  

39% 
  



Tayside 
  

4% 
  

10% 
  

16% 
  

16% 
  

45% 
  



Orkney 
  

-5% 
  

-4% 
  

-1% 
  

8% 
  

39% 
  



Shetland 
  

-2% 
  

-4% 
  

-1% 
  

8% 
  

39% 
  



Western Isles 
  

-38% 
  

-4% 
  

-1% 
  

8% 
  

39% 
  



West of Scotland Water Area 
  



Dumfries and Galloway 
  

8% 
  

6% 
  

8% 
  

4% 
  

12% 
  



Strathclyde 
  

3% 
  

6% 
  

8% 
  

4% 
  

12% 
  



  Sewerage charges were not separately levied by the former regional councils, but were included in the council tax. There is therefore no meaningful comparison with 1996-97. Domestic Sewerage Relief Grant offset most of the domestic sewerage charge in 1996-97, and a decreasing proportion thereafter until 1998-99. The figures shown in the table below show the change in the gross amount levied by the water authority, before the deduction of the grant.

  


Band D Sewerage Charges, year on year percentage 
  change 
  



 


1997-98 
  

1998-99 
  

1999-2000 
  

2000-01 
  



East of Scotland Water Area 
  

8% 
  

12% 
  

18% 
  

25% 
  



North of Scotland Water Area 
  

7% 
  

14% 
  

13% 
  

48% 
  



West of Scotland Water Area 
  

6% 
  

17% 
  

20% 
  

27%